The game of blackjack is popularly played in many, if not all, the countries of the world, and typically requires each “hand” (e.g., the cards which are respectively held by each player to be compared and evaluated against those of the dealer). The general object of the game is to obtain a high valued hand having a value of twenty-one or less. Should the hand have a computed value which is greater than twenty-one, the player typically and automatically loses. A player “wins the hand” if the value of the player's hand is less than twenty-one but greater than the value of the dealer's hand. Typically, the player “loses the hand” if the value of his hand is equal to the value of the dealer's hand. Sometimes, a “push” is declared and neither the player nor the dealer has a greater computed hand value. To compute the value of a hand, the value of each card in the hand is added until a final amount is determined. For purposes of such counting, the actual or “assigned” value of each card is utilized. If a card is a two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten, then the actual value of the card is utilized. A value of ten is assigned to each jack, queen, and king. Further, an ace is designated as having a value of one or eleven, depending upon the desire of the holder of the card. For a complete overview of the game of blackjack (and various variations of the game), the reader is directed to the books Basic Blackjack by Stanford Wong and Blackjack Wisdom by Arnold Synder. These books may be ordered from the website entitled www.conjelco.com and are each fully and completely incorporated herein by reference, word for word and paragraph for paragraph. Another overview may be obtained in the texts entitled The Winner's Guide To Texas Hold'em Poker. by Ken Warren (1stED.), Cardoza Publishing (1996), ISBN Number 0940685590 and Blackjack, a winner's handbook by Jerry L. Patterson, Perigee Books (1990), ISBN Number 0399515984 which are each fully and completely incorporated herein by reference, word for word and paragraph for paragraph.
While the game of blackjack is well known, it is regarded by many as being boring, especially if played for a relatively long period of time. Further, with the relatively large increase in gaming establishments, each playing substantially the same games, it has been difficult for these gaming establishments to differentiate themselves and increase their market share based upon their suite of offered games. One well regarded way of a gaming establishment to differentiate itself it for it to offer a new and novel game which becomes very popular in a very quick or fast manner.
Additionally, there exist known games and/or methods for playing games which typically combine some of the elements of the game of blackjack (both “conventional” versions and variants) with elements of another known card game and/or other game. While these “combination” games typically do somewhat entertain players, they are often considered to be boring. There is therefore a need for a new and novel card game which is entertaining to players, which produces income for a gaming and/or other establishment, and which allows players a wide variety of styles and wagers which can be made while playing.
The present invention overcomes these previously delineated drawbacks in a new and novel fashion. It provides a method for playing a card game which combines elements of the games of poker and blackjack, which allows players to use a two-card blackjack hand to form a five-card poker hand, and which offers players a wide variety of styles and wagers which can be made and/or chosen during the game. Additionally, the present invention offers an advantage to a “house” or gaming establishment which offers the present invention for play, thereby increasing revenue while satisfying the players, all in a new and novel manner.